Capture The Night (21 page)

“Brazos, you can’t go swimming. It can’t be more than sixty-five degrees out here. You’ll freeze.”

“Better that than decking you again, dear brother. That’s what I’d really like to do.” Stripped naked, Brazos made a running dive into the surf. He swam with long, even strokes until the water’s chill melted the hot rush of anger from his body and his mind went back to work.

Standing waist-deep, he stared out to sea as he wiped water away from his salt-numbed lips and considered his predicament. He was still married to Madeline Christophe. “Hell,” he muttered, “I’m even more married to her than I was yesterday.” Memories of their passionate lovemaking flickered across his brain. Determinedly, he buried them, just as he had a hundred times over the long night recently ended.

Vaguely aware that Tyler called his name, Brazos watched the white, foamy breakers and repeated aloud, “I’m still married to Madeline Christophe.”

Then he realized that, under the circumstances, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Brazos smiled grimly as he left the water. Tyler met him at surf’s edge with his clothes, saying, “You did it, didn’t you? You bedded her. And because of my interference, the Sinclair family will have its first divorce. Oh, hell, Brazos, I’m so damned sorry.”

Brazos took one look at his brother’s hangdog face and laughed. Tyler looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “Buck up, brother,” Brazos said, grabbing his garments. “It’s not as bad as you think. In fact, you’ve actually done me a good turn.”

“Excuse me?” Tyler blinked. “I’m afraid you’ve lost me. What is it you are saying, that you’re happy being married to a kidnapper?”

“Yep.” Having used his shirt as a towel, Brazos slung it over his shoulder and pulled on his pants. “You see, Tyler, though you managed it quite by accident, you’ve offered me a solution to one of the problems that might have upset my plan.”

“What plan?”

Brazos explained as they headed back toward the horses. “I came home to take care of Salezan. Before I can do that, though, I need to rescue Juanita from Cousin Jeffrey and hide her in a place no one would think to look.”

“What’s that have to do with your being married?”

Brazos gave the buckskin a pat on the neck, then swung into the saddle. “Mr. and Mrs. Brazos Sinclair are members of the Colonization Society of Texas. La Réunion has a lot of strange rules, but I’ve never seen or heard anything that would prevent a family member from comin’ along for a visit.”

As Tyler mounted his horse, a glimmer of understanding stole across his face. “You mean—“

Brazos nodded. “I’m going to need your help, Ty. Any reason you couldn’t leave Galveston for a bit?”

“Well, no. What do you want me to do?”

“Our sister mentioned in her last letter that St. Michael’s money cache is running light. Since I’m headed in that direction, I figure to take a wagonload with me. While I’m fetching the silver I’d like you to go to Cousin Jeffrey’s and gather up—” He paused and rubbed his hand across his chin. “Let’s see, shall we call her a cousin? Yes, that sounds good. You carry Cousin Juanita along to Anderson, and I’ll meet you there.”

“Anderson. That’s just on the far side of the forest region north of Houston, isn’t it?”

Brazos nodded and continued, “The colonists will pass that way on the trail to La Réunion. I intend for us to join the wagon train at that point.”

“Hell, Brazos, I don’t know if that’s such a good idea after all.” Tyler took off his hat and twirled it on a finger, frowning at it. “If Salezan’s men have spotted you here in Galveston, we could end up leading them right to the silver and Juanita.”

Brazos reached out and grabbed Tyler’s hat. Tossing it at him, Brazos said, “Leave it on your head, brother; you’re letting the sun bake your brain. I want Salezan to know I’m back. In fact, before we leave Anderson, I plan to send him a letter—a personal invitation to leave his lair and meet me here in Texas.”

“Letter?” Tyler asked. Then realization dawned in his expression. “The location of the silver mine.”

“Yep.”

“I don’t know, Brazos.” Tyler shook his head. “Wouldn’t it be better for Juanita to remain with Cousin Jeffrey until you’ve killed Salezan?”

“Probably. But knowing Nita, since she doesn’t like living where she’s at, she’s liable to up and do something dumb. I think she’ll enjoy being with the Europeans. They’re cultured folk, and Nita loves to talk music and art and that sort of business.” The buckskin snorted as Brazos nudged her into a walk.

“Well, you know her better than I,” Tyler answered, following his brother. “But what about Salezan’s men? Don’t underestimate them, Brazos. They might be following us this very moment.”

“Good. See, Tyler, later this morning, you and I will make a quite public departure from Galveston as we head home to visit with the family. I figure we can spend a week or so at Magnolia Bend, and that’ll give the colonists time to get a good start north. Then, the family can create some sort of diversion, and you and I can sneak away from the plantation and go about our separate tasks.”

“It might work,” Tyler said, slowly nodding. “Family resemblance the way it is, strangers have a hard time telling us apart. If we work it right, Salezan’s men might think we’re still at Magnolia Bend long after we’ve left.”

“We’ll time it so we’ll be a day or two ahead of the Europeans,” Brazos continued. “While I really don’t think there’ll be any trouble, having your gun along the trail will make the plan just that much safer.”

Tyler pulled a piece of straw from his horse’s mane as he asked, “What about the colonists? Aren’t you afraid Salezan’s men might follow them?”

“Why would they? There’d be no reason to. Before we leave Galveston, I’ll make a public break with the Réunionists by telling a few of the island’s busybodies that the marriage between Madeline Christophe and Brazos Sinclair has been annulled. I’ll make sure they know I only used the woman to gain passage home from Europe. If Salezan has men here, they’ll be bound to hear that kind of gossip. They won’t follow the Phalansterians from Galveston.”

“
Phallus
what?” Tyler asked.

Brazos grinned, recalling his own similar reaction. “Phalansterians. Followers of Charles Fourier Builders of a Texas Utopia. Tell me, Tyler can you think of a better place to hide the most beautiful woman on earth than in Utopia?”

“It does seem appropriate. Juanita will fit right in. I only hope Salezan’s men won’t realize it too.” He hesitated a moment before asking, “But what about Madeline? She’s liable to put up a hiss over this.”

“I know how to keep her mouth shut.” At Tyler’s questioning look, Brazos smiled meanly and said, “I’ll simply follow my bride’s example. I don’t figure blackmail is near as bad a crime as kidnapping. I’ll make certain she does as we want.” As he gigged his horse into a canter he called back over his shoulder “Don’t worry, Tyler Salezan’s men will follow you and me to Magnolia Bend. They’ll leave the colonists completely alone. I’m certain of it.”

Watching the puffs of sand kicked up by his brother’s horse, Tyler considered Brazos’s plan and thought of a saying their father often repeated.
Nerve succeeds
. “I hope to hell Pa’s right,” he said, kicking his horse into a run and trailing Brazos.

But he couldn’t shake the worry that this time, nerve wouldn’t be enough.

Chapter 10

WHILE MAKING TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS for the next leg of their journey, Victor Considérant learned that a local merchant expected the arrival of a shipment of farm implements from New Orleans within the week. After consulting with his assistants, he made the decision to delay the colonists’ departure from Galveston until the valuable supplies could be purchased.

Madeline took a room at the Powhattan Hotel along with the other colonists, and what had begun as a way of spending idle hours developed into a frenzy of shopping that left the islanders awestruck. All around town, Galvestonians shook their heads in Madeline’s wake. It simply wasn’t done that way. Texans traveled to Europe to shop. The fool woman had it backward.

In truth, she had discovered that by burying herself in the island shops, few that they were, she was able to forget—at least for a little while—the ache she’d carried in her chest since Brazos Sinclair had left her at the cottage.

She’d also determined that paying for items from baby bonnets to cheese using Julian Desseau’s money had a certain charm of its own. She’d actually found it more satisfying than stealing. It’d been quite a revelation for a woman who’d never before had money to spend as she pleased. Madeline spent three full days in the shops of Galveston without snatching a thing.

Well, almost three days. She had indulged the itch yesterday when she encountered Brazos’s cousin Trixie at a milliner’s. The handkerchief in the woman’s pocket had fluttered temptingly, catching Rose’s eye before disappearing into Madeline’s hand. The child waved it about even now, as the colonists gathered at the harbor to board a steamboat for the trip up Buffalo Bayou to Houston.

Lillibet Brunet took one look at the vessel and said, “Oh, my heavens, we’ll not live to see the sunset. Listen to that engine. It’s roaring and boiling as though it’s alive and in a rage.”

“Actually, it reminds me of Brazos,” Madeline observed, foolishly breaking her silence on the subject of her former husband.

It was all the opening Lillibet required. As the steamer,
Christy Ann
, chugged its way across Galveston Bay and into the mouth of Buffalo Bayou, she plied Madeline with questions concerning the missing Mr. Sinclair. “Lillibet, please,” Madeline finally said as she fed Rose tiny bites of a banana. “I told you when I returned to the Powhattan that Brazos had left me. Neither you nor anyone else should have been surprised by it. After all, we never made any secret of the reasons behind our marriage.”

“I know,” Lillibet said with a sigh. “It’s just that I had great hopes for the two of you. You were such a beautiful pair, and I truly believed we’d convinced Mr. Brazos to embrace the Phalansterian way of life.”

Madeline stifled an inelegant snort. “Really, Lil. Brazos only paid attention to the Fourierist doctrines concerning Free Love. Once he discovered the La Réunion colony wouldn’t put those ideas into practice, he lost all interest.” She punctuated her point by taking a bite from the banana.

“Well, I suppose you’re right. Still, I shall miss him. You have to admit, the man was wonderful with the children.”

Madeline felt a tingle of unease at her friend’s words. Brazos had developed an undeniable affection for Rose, and the words he’d spoken that difficult night continued to haunt her.
Your nightmares are only just beginning.

What had he meant? What did he intend to do
? For two days, she’d expected a visit from him, half afraid he’d appear with the authorities in tow. Yesterday, when Trixie’s offhand comment revealed that Brazos had departed Galveston Island two days earlier, Madeline had reeled in shock. He’d not only left her following their night together, he’d left the entire island.

That was when Madeline had picked Trixie’s pocket.

Buffalo Bayou was little more than a narrow creek, and twice during the trip, passengers were pressed into service to pole the boat upstream. By early afternoon, the colonists cheered the sight of the three-story warehouses lining the shore that announced the steamer’s arrival in Houston.

Named after the hero of San Jacinto and the president of the Republic of Texas, Houston was a rowdy town where saloons outnumbered churches six to one. The steamer’s captain assured the Europeans that a number of hotels in town offered safe, comfortable lodging for travelers, but one of the Fourierists suggested they establish a campsite instead. Victor Considérant called for a vote, and Madeline waved her hand high along with the majority as the immigrants chose to begin camp life on their first night in Houston.

Locating an appropriate spot on the prairie west of town, the colonists circled their chests and trunks and established cooking and sleeping arrangements to be observed during the three-week overland trek to Central Texas. Anxious to begin the final leg of their journey to La Réunion, they made quick work of buying wagons and oxen and hiring teamsters to lead them to their final destination.

Madeline used Julian Desseau’s money to purchase a wagon and the livestock required to pull it. She hired a tall, wiry man, Mr. Cole Johnston, to act as her driver. Mr. Johnston handled the team well, and Madeline found his anecdotes about Texas both informative and amusing. In many ways, he reminded her of Brazos.

On a bright spring morning four days following their arrival in Houston, and accompanied by the serenade of a raucous mob of robins, the wagon train headed north toward a section of land just across the Trinity River from the small village called Dallas. There they would build Utopia.

At first, their trail took them over prairie, making good time at ten to twelve miles a day. But on the fourth day, the wisps of clouds drifting high on a bleached sky disappeared from sight as the line of wagons entered a region of towering forests.

In places, the road was no more than a trail, and the colonists took axes and hoes to clear a path through the underbrush and ravines. Twice Madeline hopped down from the wagon to help, although in the second instance, the sight of an ugly green snake with black markings had her scrambling back into her seat. Through it all, the teamsters preached sermons to their oxen, urging them forward with language that at times had Madeline covering little Rose’s ears.

Though travel through the forests was slower the end of each day afforded the colonists a sense of accomplishment, and by the close of the first week, they’d established a smooth routine for setting up camp. Once a site had been chosen, a handful of colonists cut brush and piled it into a heap for a fire. Others put up the tents and dug trenches around them to keep out the snakes. Still others got out the pots and kettles and began cooking the meal.

Madeline enjoyed the camp-making most of all. She found it quite in keeping with Fourier’s philosophies that she was able to choose trench digging over cooking for her part of the work.